Naruko Uzumaki
by jmanz329
Summary: I was going to just continue the original attempt, but as I read through it I realized I wasn't happy with the way it played out. So here is Take 2, the story of a female version of Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

Through the streets of Konoha runs a little blonde girl with whisker marks. She giggles as she jumps from the street to the roof of a single story building and up to the second floor of the next, disappearing through a window into a long hallway, jumping through the window at the other end and over to the roof of the next building cutting left around the corner. Two chunins chase after her yelling "Not again!" and "Get her!".

After a few minutes of chasing, they catch up to her and hogtie her. The taller one says, "Naruko, that wasn't a prank, you went to far."

She looks up at him, defiance in her eyes. "So say's you. I'm going to be better than all of those jokers, so I made them the clowns they are!"

"After class today, you will scrub those faces clean. I'm taking you back to Iruka-sensei's classroom." They drag her down to the Academy and let a tall, tan ninja with a scar across his nose, know what happened.

"Thanks to Naruko here, we will be having a pop quiz on the Transformation Jutsu!" he yelled to the whole class, who groans and starts complaining and berating her. Naruko just grins and says, "Well, more practice means more time to get it!"

All of the student's line up, first in line is Sasuke Uchiha, the only surviving member of his clan. He makes the handseal and transforms into Iruka. He drops the jutsu and returns to his seat, looking disinterested in everything going on around him, stoic and unreadable as always. Naruko liked him, but his stoic nature and 'better than everyone' attitude pissed her off.

Next is Sakura Haruno, who perfectly transforms into Iruka. She drops the jutsu and says "Sasuke-kun, did you see that," looking up at him to realize he was looking out the window. A dejected look crosses her face and she returns to her seat.

A few more student's go and then it's Naruko's turn. She glances over at Sasuke, who looks down at her, deadfaced as always. She grins and throws up the handsigns and turns into a perfect copy of the third hokage, with the exception of her whisker marks, which remained even in the transformation.

Iruka sighs, "Naruko, your whiskers are still there. Not good enough."

Naruko drops the jutsu and shouts, "I don't know why but I can't hide them. Besides, a transformation won't work on an experienced ninja, I don't even know why we have to learn this weak garbage."

Iruka's face turns red in anger, "You have to learn it because you are a student and if used correctly it could save your life! Just ask any current Genin or Chunin and they will have used it effectively for stealth and espionage!"

"Yeah well this is stupid!" Naruko shouts and jumps out the window and sprints down the street.

That evening found Naruko on a platform hanging in front of the Stone Hokage Monuments, scrubbing off the paints that she put on them that morning. Iruka sat watching her slowly scrubbing the paint and says, "You won't get to go home until all that paint is washed off."

Naruko looks up at him angrily and replies, "It's not like I have anyone waiting for me when I get there," before returning to scrubbing.

Iruka just gazes down at her, realizing she was in the same boat he was after his parent's were killed. He flashes back to the 9 tails attack 11 years prior, his mother telling him to go with the rest of the village into the hidden bunkers, him yelling he didn't want to go as a chunin grabbed him and took him away he saw his parent's jump towards the danger. Then flash forward to him crying over their grave, then to him acting out to get attention in class.

"Hey, Naruko," Iruka said, she looked up at him, "How about if you get this cleaned up quickly, I'll take you to get some Ichiraku's."

Naruko's face lit up and she had a large smile on her face. "I'll have this cleaned up in no time, believe it!" and she went on scrubbing voraciously.

After sundown found them at a ramen stand called Ichiraku's, famous for having the best ramen in town. The old man behind the counter said, "Ah, Naruko, welcome back. Pork Miso, extra large double pork, right?"

"Believe it!" she replied happily, this was her favorite place to eat ever and that was her favorite kind of ramen. Ichiraku just smiled as that exchange went on until he looked up at the menu and saw the price.

"Naruko, that's the most expensive thing on the menu!" He exclaimed.

"You said you'd pay!"

"But, oh whatever. But only one bowl."

"Fine, fine."

Naruko took her pig tails down and redid them as a single braid coming down her shoulder and chest as she waited for her food. Iruka just sat there thinking for a bit before turning to Naruko.

"Naruko, why did you paint the Great Faces? You know what they mean to the whole village, right? Why would you do something like that?"

"Because after I pass this year, I'm going to be a ninja. And I'm going to become the strongest and be Hokage, and then everyone will recognize me!"

Iruka just looked at her and thought, _'She's lived a life all on her own, never had anyone to go home to, and has never known what it was to be part of a family. She's just trying to get recognized as a person. But everyone is ignoring her because of the 9 tailed fox sealed inside of her.' _"But defacing the Great Faces was wrong, surely you know that?"

"Who was going to stop me?"

Iruka sat back in his chair as Ichiraku dropped the bowls off in front of them. "Naruko, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. You need to be more mindful of how other people feel," Ichiraku said as he put the bowl in front of her.

"Yeah, yeah old man. I'm gonna be the best Hokage there ever was, believe it!" she said as she grabbed some chopsticks.

"If you don't start behaving and training like your supposed to, I'll stop serving you ramen!" Ichiraku stated.

"Hey, now. Let's be rational here," Naruko said looking up at him.

"Just eat your ramen and train hard, Naruko. I believe in you," Ichiraku smiled.

"Believe it," Naruko said and broke her chopsticks. Iruka just smiled and picked up his.

"See Naruko? All you have to do is be yourself and people will come around to you. If you stop these pranks, they will notice you more," Iruka said as he broke his chopsticks.

Naruko paused. "No one looks at me. No one plays with me. No one sees me if I do nothing." She looked down. "I'm ignored, or looked at with hateful eyes. Even people I don't know, it's not fair."

Iruka looked at her and saw great pain in her eyes. "Naruko." He thought for a while as they ate, silently. "Hey, you wanna train with me tomorrow?"

Naruko looked at him surprised. "You really mean that, Sensei?"

"Yeah, after school I'll meet you at the top of the monument." He smiled at her. "I'll help you master that Transformation Jutsu."

"Thank you, Sensei! I won't let you down, believe it!"

Iruka laughed, "No I don't think you will."

Later, in the Hokage's office Iruka was standing in front of the Hokage's desk. He was turned around looking out the window, over the entire village. "Hokage-sama, I believe we should tell Naruko and the whole village her lineage. She's suffering, no family, no friends. She has no one and nothing going for her. I don't know much about stuff like this, but she needs-"

"Iruka, we can't. It was the Fourth's wishes that she have a normal childhood. Doing that would upset the entire village."

"But she is upset. If she just knew the truth she'd-"

"Do you trust me Iruka?"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Then please believe me, the only way to move her forward is to let her find her own path. She needs to come into that knowledge naturally. Not have it just forced onto her."

"I disagree, Hokage-sama. I believe that she is suffering. If not the entire village, just her. Let her know to whom she belongs and she'd understand why she has no family. Why she had to grow up lonely and desolate."

"I will take your advice into consideration. But for now, no."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed and left the room.

The Hokage puffed on his pipe and looked up at the full moon. "Am I making a mistake, hiding all this from her? Maybe I should let her know, and just have her keep it a secret from the rest of the village. What do you think?"

A shinobi in a dog mask appeared in the middle of the room. "I am not the one to ask, Hokage-sama."

"Ah, but I am asking you. Let's put it this way, if you were in her position, do you think it would make a difference if you knew your lineage and the cause of their death. Would that make a difference to you?"

"I'm not sure, I don't have the experience to say one way or the other."

"But you do. You became shinobi after your father's death. Would it have been harder if you never even knew who that was?"

The ninja looked down for a few minutes. "Knowing who my father was caused me great anguish, but never even knowing I had family would be a much greater pain. I feel knowing that my father cared about me was enough to help me become better. In her situation, I'd have to observe her for a little bit of time in order to say."

"Then observe her, the teams for the genin have already been assembled and she'd be assigned to you. Do what you see fit. But give me your opinion after your observation."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Oh and for the time being, your association with the Anbu is on hold. Please turn in your mask."

The ninja stepped forward and slipped the mask off, pulling his Konoha headband down over his left eye. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed Hatake Kakashi." He bowed and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

The next evening after the academy let out, Naruko was sitting on top of the Fourth Hokage's Stone Monument and looking over the village. Iruka walked up behind her and just smiled. "Naruko, you ready to start training?"

"Iruka-sensei, I'm always ready, believe it," she said jumping up and dashing over to him.

"The final exam is next week, I believe we can have you ready for it. If you train hard that is."

"I'm not going to let you down Iruka-sensei!"

A few day's later, Kakashi knocked on the Hokage's door. After waiting for the callout, he entered. "Hokage-sama, as you requested, I've come to give you my opinion."

The Council of Elder's were in the room as well and looked up at him as he entered. "Ah, Kakashi. We were just discussing that exact issue. What do you think?"

"She is suffering. She deserves to know at least why she's all alone, that may ease some of her pain. I think if she continues on not knowing, she'll either break and become useless or break and go rogue. Either way, I think it would be best if she were told her lineage."

"Thank you for your assessment. See? He's the second to tell me that same thing."

The old man slammed his fist down on the desk, "It could break her if you tell her! What happens then?"

"Calm yourself, she would more than likely be overjoyed, her father was an important hero, and to be associated with him is considered a great boon," the old woman stated calmly.

"You actually agree with them?"

"I do, I feel she is old enough to handle it now. However, we should wait until after the tests to tell her. Telling her now would be a distraction and she's already not good at ninjutsu, she needs to keep focused."

"I agree. Waiting until she has finished the exams is an excellent idea. I'll call her here after the test and speak with her. You are dismissed Kakashi."

Kakashi walks out of the office and sighs closing his eye. He walks down the corridor and down the stairs pulling a book out of his pouch and opens it to were he left off as he leaves.

"Naruko, you are pulling too much chakra, you don't need that much for the clone jutsu," Iruka sighs. "How many times must I tell you this?"

"Bah, I can't figure out how to get this. It's too easy for me to gather chakra. This jutsu is weak," Naruko shouts as she makes the handsigns for the clone jutsu. "Clone jutsu!" A wimpy, pale clone apears in front of her and falls down. "I just can't do this!"

"Naruko, don't give up that easy, the test is a few days away, you need to get this jutsu down by then."

"I can't do it! I don't know why but I can't!"

A silver haired ninja reading a book with his headband covering his left eye walks by. He glances over and see's Naruko staring at him and raises a hand in greeting.

"What're you doing here?" Naruko asks bluntly.

"I was just passing by on my way to go train. What are you doing here?"

"I'm training! I'm gonna get better and I'll pass the exam this time!"

"Oh, and is that Iruka? Long time no see," he says, jovially.

"Hey there, Kakashi-senpai. Didn't expect to see you out this way," Iruka replies.

"Just passing through on my way to train. What are you working on?"

"I'm trying to help Naruko here master the clone jutsu."

"Oh and how's that going?" Kakashi says. Seconds later Naruko shout's "Clone Jutsu!" and another pitiful clone appears. "Ah, never mind. You want some advice?" Naruko looks at him and nods. "Try to work on your control. If you can only mold a lot of chakra, try to make lot's of clones." Naruko nods and breathes, concentrating momentarily before performing the handsigns again. "Clone Jutsu!" 10 clones, almost perfect, appear. Each one had some deformity, discoloration, size, etc., but they were all standing. "See? You'll get the hang of it. After you can make good clones, then work on making less. It's trial and error at this point. Just keep training and you'll be fine. Bye now." He goes back to his book and keeps walking down the path. As he disappears he hears "Clone Jutsu!" again and shakes his head smiling.

Iruka keeps looking after Kakashi, surprised at his insight before looking back at Naruko and smiling. Naruko looked at her newest set of clones and sighs.


	2. Chapter 2

An alarm rings out the third story window of a decrepit looking apartment building. After a few minutes it stops, only to start again a few minutes later. After a little while, a crash is heard out the window, followed immediately by a blond girl in a fishnet top with bandages wrapped around her chest in orange sweats trailing an orange and blue jacket that looked old. A piece of toast hangs out her mouth as she situated a pair of goggles on her forehead, slipping the band under her pigtails. She slips the jacket on as she slips around the corner, sprinting as the sun starts rising.

Uzumaki Naruko slips through the window into the seat next to an emo looking kid in a blue jacket and white shorts as Iruka-sensei calls out "Uchiha Sasuke". The emo kid replies staring into her blue eyes. He huffs and looks away as her name was called. She answered turning to face the front. Iruka looks up at her and nods before continuing down the list.

After calling out all the names on the list, Iruka looks around the room. It was the largest classroom in the building and still it was cramped, over 75 candidates. That was going to be whittled down soon, as not everyone was going to pass. "The exam is going to be simple, you will be called into the next room and asked to perform a task. If you pass, or if you fail, you will be sent home. If you pass, come back in the afternoon for your briefing, however, you are not to re-enter this room. To expedite the test as there are so many of you, joining me-", as he says this 5 more Chunin enter the room, "-are fellow chunin instructors to help me with this test. We will be judging you 3 at a time. We are going to go set up the testing rooms, then call you in. Standby until your name is called, talking is allowed but keep it down. Any questions?" He waits a few moments. "Good, at ease," he and the chunin split into 3 groups and go through three doors behind them. Most of the kids break out into conversation, but Naruko just looks at Sasuke next to her, shakes her head and looks out the window.

About 10 minutes go by, and the first group of kids get called. It appears its going to be in alphabetical order as they were all the first in roll call, Naruko sighs, she was going to be near the end of the process and most of the kids hated her and refused to even acknowledge her most of the time, except Sasuke. She glances back at him as he does the same to her. His deep black eyes were shrouded and unreadable, but somehow still conveyed angry sorrow. She harrumphs and turns back out the window, blushing a little. He scoffs and looks around.

Footsteps approach, Naruko turns to see who it is and a loud pink-haired girl is approaching in a red tight fitting shirt, showcasing her flat chest, talking to a group of girls in hushed tones and giggling. The entire group was giggling and whispering while staring at Sasuke, who was blatantly ignoring them. Naruko sighs, that's Sakura Haruno, a girly-girl know-it-all that has a big crush on Sasuke. One of the girls giggles and pushes her closer to Sasuke saying "Talk to him!"

Sakura looks back at her with a look screaming, "I'm going to kill you" before turning back and smiling, "S-sasuke-kun, good luck o-on your test t-today," she stammers out shyly. Sasuke looks up at her, scoffs and goes back to scanning the room. "I-I'm sure you don't need it, you always get the best marks on the t-test, I don't know why I said that, I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun!"

"Instead of trying to flirt with someone that is obviously uninterested in you why don't you just go back to your seat and let someone who's much better suited talk to him, Billboard Head," a blond girl with a long ponytail said coming up the aisle. They start arguing. That is Ino Yamanaka, the rival for Sasuke's affection for Sakura.

Sasuke looks at the two of them for a split second, Sasuke does a switching jutsu quickly under the desk and switches places with Naruko instantly. Naruko starts to object but both girls shout at the same time, "Naruko, you have no right to sit next to Sasuke! Get away from him!" and grab her dragging her into the aisle pushing her into a shy quiet girl with black hair who always wore a hoodie. She helps Naruko get up and stammers out, "A-are y-you ok-kay, N-naruk-ko-kun?" before Naruko was up and jumps onto the desk squatting in front of Sasuke, staring at him angrily.

"Why do I always end up getting beat up because of you? You're not that great, what's so special about you anyway. You're just a-," she gets bumped from the guy in the seat in front of her, and her and Sasuke's lips connect for a moment. Sakura and Ino both start yelling death threats at Naruko, Naruko and Sasuke start scrubbing at their lips with their shirts. At that time, Sakura's name was called, so she walks up to one of the doors, still threatening to murder Naruko. One of the chunins step into the room and tells Ino and the other girls to get back to their seats.

Naruko sits back down next to Sasuke. She turns back to him and starts to say something but gets interrupted, "I'm sorry for that, but it's easier to get them to stop paying attention to me when they're too busy being pissed of at you."

"Are you serious? Why not just tell them to piss off?"

"You have met them, right? Do you think they'd leave me alone if I just told them to? I seriously doubt it."

"Then just flat out reject them. Don't put up with them."

"I don't even want to talk to them. I wish they'd just leave me alone. I wish you'd leave me alone. But seeing as how you snuck in last minute, I'm sure you don't want to move seats until it's time for the test."

"Now what's that supposed to mean, Sas-jerk? You calling me slow?"  
"Well, yeah, you are a little slow."

"How dare you, I'm not that slow! I'll show you how fast I am, just wait until after this test."

Sasuke scoffs and looks out the window.

They keep calling names and Naruko watches the sunlight creep along the desk, at first towards, then start going back as the sun starts going over the building before her name is called. She walks into the room confidently and shuts the door. "What's the test this time, Iruka-sensei?"

"You are to perform the clone jutsu and make 3 clones."

"But Iruka-sen-" she get's interrupted, by the other chunin, Mizuke, "Naruko, no arguing we don't have time for that. Just perform the jutsu." Naruko stairs at him for a moment, before clasping her hands in the way they were taught to knead chakra, then performing the handsign for clone. She says "clone jutsu" and 3 puffs of smoke pop up and quickly dissipates revealing a clone with a small arm, a pale useless clone facedown on the ground, and one with a small leg.

Iruka looks at Naruko and shake's his head, "Fail. Again."

"Iruka-sensei that's not fair, you know this is my worst jutsu, you know I can't make clones like this!"

"This is the same test we are giving everyone else. And it's simply pass or fail. You failed to produce even a single useful clone, therefore you failed."

"Fine, you want at least a single useful clone, I'll show you a useful clone," Naruko smashes her hands back into the clone jutsu sign and starts to say "Cl-"

"You've had your shot, go home, try again in six months," Iruka interrupts.

Misuke interjects, "Why fail her? This is her third time trying, why not just let her pass?"

"I know you're new to the teaching scene Misuke, but we cannot just pass a student that tries hard, but still fails. All the passing students have produced 3 viable clones. She cannot be passed."

Tears come to Naruko's eyes and she turns and just sprints out the door and out to the swing of the side yard of the Academy. She sits there and cries silently, another 6 months wasted, how can she pass if it's always the same jutsu, the only one she sucks at. After she stops crying she just sits there, watching the ground gently swing back and forth thinking of what she was going to do now, she'd be a laughing stock if she tried again, but let's face it, she was already a laughing stock. Something that sounded like a deep voice gently chuckling makes Naruko look up and around quickly. All the passing students walked out the front door, to their parents waiting for them. They all start showing off their new hitai-ate's to their parents, who when they looked around saw Naruko quickly look down.

Naruko struggles to hold back more tears, the same eyes she always gets, hatred filled and like the world would be better off without her. "Good thing she failed again." "Yeah, she doesn't need to be a shinobi, she should just quit now." "She failed 3 times in a row, what does she think, if I try enough times, I'll just get it one time?" many more comments like this keep going. Naruko jumps off the swing and goes to leave but runs into Mizuke. Mizuke smiles at her and reaches out for her hand. Naruko looks at it, then back up to him, before taking it.

"Three times in a row, that's gotta be rough. How are you?" Mizuke asks after they get to the roof of Naruko's apartment building.

"I don't know. I don't know why it's always the clone jutsu. I just can't seem to do it. I practice every day for hours. I don't know what's wrong with me." Naruko hangs her head as tears start to build up in her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with you Naruko, some people just can't perform jutsu like that. There is anoth- no wait, I shouldn't tell you about that," Mizuke says casually.

Naruko perks up and looks at him. "What where you about to say? There's another way to graduate? Tell me! Please, I want to be a ninja, I want to become the Hokage and make everyone see how good I am and recognize the I am worth having around!"

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Yes, yes, I promise, just tell me already!"


End file.
